MIT-2: The Rage of War
by Unleashed Reasoning
Summary: Continuation of Moment In Time. If you jump right into this story, you might get confused without the background info from MIT. The War begins...
1. Pain's Threshold

Agony… Absolute agony keeps Rei coiled in a breathless ball of silence. She can't scream; the noise is clogged in her throat. Her muscles are begging to release from their locked state, but the pain keeps them clenched in an exhausted trembling state. The ground beneath her bucks and trembles, debris raining down on her from nearby explosions. She doesn't even notice. She can't hear the wails of the injured or the shouts of anger that fill the air. She's locked in a cocoon of isolation, entirely focused on the excruciating feeling of foreign magic coursing through her and attempting to rip her apart from the inside out.

A hand jostles her shoulder, and her smothered scream finally escapes. The hand jerks away as her wordless cry pierces through the chaos of battle and brings a momentary hush.

Multiple shouts break the pause, and the air suddenly vibrates with power as emotions suddenly spike into a frenzied swirl of anger and panic.

Rei is gasping, desperately trying to replenish the breath she still can't quite grasp. Stars flicker behind her eyelids, so tightly are they clenched. She can vaguely identify the coppery taste of blood staining her lips and tongue. She cannot feel the warm salty tears that rain down on her cheek as a figure hovers over her in uncertainty.

The shock is instant when the magic burning her from within suddenly snaps off, making her body jerk violently and lose what little breath she'd recaptured. She crumbles limply to the ground, chest heaving as her body twitches after such intense abuse.

Her hearing begins returning, alerting her to the voices yelling around her and the roar of the fight still occurring. Her own soft sobbing is hardly discernible as her fingers flex, clawing into the soil to brace herself from the roiling sensation filling her senses.

She'd never experienced pain like that before, nothing so consuming as that. It was…terrifying.

Her scattered thoughts are grounded as a hand gently tips her onto her back. She's so exhausted she has no energy to protest even as blood begins to run down her throat. She must have a broken nose on top of the fact she'd probably bit through her lip when that spell hit her.

"Exura! Goddess above! Speak to me! Exura! Are you alright?!"

Rei doesn't respond. She wonders who Exura is as her thoughts drift in and out of focus. The person above her sounds very anxious.

"Exura! Answer me!" Demands a second voice.

A hand gently grasps her shoulder and jiggles it. Rei's breath stutters, a flicker of the previous pain making her limbs seize for just a breath before going slack. A rattling groan escapes the raven haired woman as she attempts to shift away from the hand still resting on her shoulder.

"Pits!" Growls the second voice. "We need to get her off the battle field!" A shrill whistle sings through the air and hurts Rei's ears, making her twitch. "Jupiter! Cargo, now!"

There's a distant cry of assent.

ReI chokes on a gurgling cough, sending a splattering of blood all over her face and chin.

"She's choking!" Cries the first voice.

"Curses! Quick, put her on her side!"

Rei feels herself being thrust awkwardly onto her side. She's relieved that the blood stops pooling at the back of her throat, allowing her breath to come a little easier. The return of her breath allows her to notice that there is a lot of magic being thrown above her. She can feel the shockwaves as spells clash.

"Mercury!" Calls a third voice as footsteps come racing towards them.

"Grab Mars! Moon and I will form a defense perimeter! Get her to the staging area for the wounded!"

There's a stuttered gasp, and then she's being lifted slowly. Her world tilts dangerously.

"No!" Cries the first voice. "She'll choke! Over your shoulders!"

Rei is shifted from a bridal style carry to a fireman's carry. She whimpers as someone's shoulders dig into her body and her stomach protests as the person carrying her begins to run. They hardly make it fifteen steps before she vomits all over them.

There's a yelp and some muttered curses, but the running doesn't even slow.

It's a very painful trip. Rei's thoughts jumble as her mind can't focus on any dominant pain as her injuries flare sporadically at each step. Eternity stretches on in a timeless loop of agony and hiccupping gasps of air. Her brain feels like it's been thrown into a blender, and she can't figure out which way is up or down, let alone which direction they're moving.

The disorientation only clears several minutes after she's placed on a cot and the medical team has run several scans on her to assess the damage.

The voices in the tent drop after a heated debate and several different doctors run the last scan.

"Answer me!" Booms a voice. It sounds like the voice that had carried her here. "Why are you looking at her like that?!"

"The d-damage…" stutters a male voice. "I-it's impossible!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Th-this type of magic…" His voice is wobbly, weak. "This… It's been outlawed during the last Planetary War!"

"I don't know what you're talking about! I just want to know if she'll be okay!"

"Y-you don't understand! Th-this magic was considered so vile that all records but vague descriptions was destroyed!" His voice turns slightly hysterical. "It-it was created to cause raw intense pain! Targeting and wreaking havoc on nerve endings! It was meant to torture the body until it exhausted itself and shut down!" He sounds like he's backing away. "Often, those subjected to it lost their minds due to its intensity! How did you break it?!"

"Mercury killed the caster," the female voice answers hotly. "Why is this such a big deal?!"

"B-because it was created on Mars!" He shouts.

Dead silence.

Rei finds her own thoughts coming to a halt, suddenly intensely caught by the levity of the situation.

"What?" Rei's throat is raw, her voice cracking and breathy.

There's a shuffling of feet. Someone leans over her. "Exura?" Hesitantly calls the woman.

"What...do…mean?" Demands Rei, horror starting to coil in her gut. A vague thought…a warning bell rings loudly in her mind as she tries to decipher what was just said. She manages to crack open her eyes to slits and gaze over at the balding man hovering a few feet away.

The man clears his throat. "D-during the last War… Mars c-created a spell so unethical that all those who had knowledge to cast it were put to d-death once the War ended. It was the catalyst to the ongoing rift between Mercury and Mars, as Mercurians were unable to effectively protect themselves from it as they were not as in tune with their magical cores. M-Martians knew and abused this weakness, slaughtering Mercurians by the droves. Even if freed from the cursed spell, those hit by it suffered lasting damage to the nervous system and had reoccurring reflashes of the agonizing pain…" He swallows thickly. "Mercury ended up dropping a massive bomb that completely destroyed an entire continent in response…"

Rei is struck mute, eyes wide and mouth dry. Her people… Her people… Had done such an atrocity?!

The shock is too great. Rei's body begins to convulse violently for several tense moments while shouts of alarm fill the tent. Rei doesn't even feel the needle pierce her skin as the world around her goes dark seconds later.


	2. Broken but not Beaten

Awareness seeps in at a crawling pace. Rei first identifies that she is no longer sleeping. As she slowly acknowledges this, she attempts to filter through the white noise surrounding her to focus on the faint murmuring going on nearby.

She's lying down… She feels too warm, and the heavy blanket on her is rough against her bare arms and neck. She feels weak...so terribly weak as she barely shifts when attempting to kick the blanket off.

"Alright…" Says a familiar voice. "So, let's start at the beginning. I'm… I'm still having a hard time believing this."

A sigh follows the comment, and there is the sound of several people shifting uncomfortably.

"It was a trap," says Amora. Her shoulders droop, her voice lacking its usual vibrancy. "Somehow, they were aware we were coming. Planned for it, even." She stares blankly at the floor, hands limp in her lap. "I… I thought that the flanking maneuver would work, that if we divided the main force from the obvious leaders, we'd gain the upper hand." Bruises litter her face and arms. A few gashes and scrapes are visible, and there are two heavy bandages on her left arm.

Rei recalls the moment they'd touched down on Pluto after their short stop at the tele-pad. They were just on the edge of the battle, quick to analyze the clutter of hastily erected defenses and the current scramble to create a safe zone for the wounded being drug from the battliefield. The enemy was advancing steadily, led by a wave of hulking deformed creatures with crazed eyes and salivating jaws. In the back were at least fifty humanoid figures, grinning wickedly as they directed their army of monsters.

Amora had given quick sharp commands, having them split until they created a partial wedge in which to breech the two distinct groups of the enemy. Her confidence and determination were on grand display, and when the defenders noticed, it created a hearty cheer and a renewed vigor in the fight.

It lasted all of about ten feet into the chaos when they hit the first line of resistance. Amora missed the glee on the enemy commanders' faces and the quick signals being cast along the line. Rei had caught just a glimpse, but it was enough of a warning that she was able to grab Amora's charging figure and throw her harshly into Serenity and Pru. She had no way to give warning as Hotaru, Aetas, Elysia, Endymion, Aequus and Ventus plowed right into the first string of waiting land mines hidden within the enemies own minions. She watched in choked horror as they were all blown back viciously, Endymion, Hotaru, and Ventus lost in the mass of minions while the others were thrown back to the empty space they'd first arrived.

A wash of pain and a fleeting feeling of weightlessness filled Rei as she was sent tumbling high into the air from the explosion she herself had been caught in. It was a potent bomb… Not enough to kill a Senshi, but certainly enough to cause some decent damage. It hurt to scramble to her feet, body already moving as she whipped out a string of quick spells to send the monsters surrounding her scattering. They didn't go far, but it gave her a small diameter of breathing room to reorientate herself.

But the monsters didn't re-engage. That was the second warning that something was seriously wrong.

Instead of attacking while she was isolated and discombobulated, the monsters backed off even further. Before Rei could even begin to decipher her next move, a quick string of spells had been fired from a dozen of the humanoid commanders. Rei dodged a good handful, got grazed by two spells that sliced deeply into her leg and shoulder, and took four direct hits from two ice and two lashing spells.

It was the last spell that changed everything. The raven haired woman didn't even have time to scream before she collapsed in a cloud of unfathomable pain. She had lost all of her senses immediately, so absorbed in the agony consuming her.

"-didn't even make it five minutes into the foray," murmurs Amora, a vague glimmer of moisture gathering in her eyes. "I didn't even realize what was going on. And… And I lost it. I…" She takes several deep gulps of air as her shoulders tremble. "You all just…disappeared. I couldn't see half of you, and before I could get my wits together, Serenity and Pru were already being swarmed and scattered by the monsters as they just…plowed right over us." Her hands clenched together in her lap, knuckles now white. "I was being trambled… Feet, hooves… And I panicked."

The blond drops her face into her hands. "I started lashing out with spells wildly. I tore everything around me apart. Anything that moved got destroyed and sent blood raining down all over the place. And I…" She chokes, almost gagging. "Then, there was a scream, and suddenly the chaos just…stopped." There were tears dripping from between her fingers and rolling down her forearms. "I hit Serenity in my panic, lashed her across the back with my whip and leaving a horrible gash…" A sob follows, cutting off her dialogue.

Serenity sighs softly, carefully sliding from her seat to gently wrap Amora in her arms. There are several swatches of gauze visible on her upper torso and arms. "It was an accident. The scar is already almost faded." She soothingly strokes Amora's back as her blue eyes woefully stare into the distance. "Besides, once you realized what happened, you snapped back to the situation."

A derisive snort escapes Amora between some gasping half sobs. "A lot of good that did. I couldn't get a single plan of action in my head. I floundered, trying to stem the blood from your wound while trying to hysterically call Elysia for backup. When you seemed to be safe, I left Aetas and Elysia to protect you so I could try and find everyone else. I wasted too much time looking for them... The vague sight of Pru plowing through part of the line of monsters to my right made me figure she was fine on her own for the moment. I was screaming and shouting for you all, using my sword to cut down the enemy instead of my magic. I… I didn't want to hit anyone else…"

"I couldn't make headway with that method. I wasted a ton of energy and was pushed right back together with Elysia, Aetas, and Serenity. I turn to check on Pru, and find her right in the middle of the cursed commanders, blowing one of them to absolute pieces. There's a wash of scattered bodies behind her, and…" Amora swallows thickly. "There, in the middle of them… Exura is just...laying there, body contorted in such a horrible way…" She curls a little away from Serenity in guilt. "I raced to her, even as she finally seemed to go slack. I called to her several times, but she just lay there… I didn't even notice Pru come racing over." Her eyes flick to the Mercurians. "Your face… I've never seen you look so terrified, so angry."

Pru's face is deathly pale, body trembling and making some of the bandages wrapping her loosen. "What happened to her… Is a thing of nightmares. It is a curse that has been forbidden by all, and is a tale told to young adults as they come of age. Every single Mercurian is told how to end its casting as a form of graduating into adulthood. My parents were very forceful in explaining it to myself and my brother, ensuring that we both knew that to end the casting you had to completely destroy the caster. You had to physically thrust your magic into the origins of the spell and cut off its channel connecting the two as you also destroyed the energy creating the flow of magic inside the caster by slaughtering them so thuroughly that there was no brain, heart, or lung function to fuel the spell." Her eyes dart to the others. "Th-there is always some lasting damage to the victim, even if you cut the spell off as soon as possible. No one…ever found a true cure."

The silence is heavy as each of the Senshi ponders her words.

Elysia clears her throat. "The doctor… He said…" She closes her eyes and takes a steadying breath. "He said that Martians created the spell, that they used it liberally against the Mercurians."

Pru's body quakes harder, eyes once again on the floor. "They did," she says lowly. "The lasting effects were so terrible, and the amount of victims so large, Mercury has since held a grudge against Mars. We were the least capable of defending against it, as very few of us had the magical power to cut the tether between caster and vicitim. It made us easy prey."

Moods are low as each Senshi turns to stare at Rei's prone figure. Rei herself is so startled, she lies completely still as she attempts to swallow the gruesome thing her people had done.

"How…" Murmurs a voice. Everyone turns to find Ventus frowning at Rei, one eye hidden beneath a medical patch. "How do they know such a spell? I thought these people were from a different system."

Aetas winces. Her own figure has its fair share of dressings. "That…is a horrible thing to consider. Either we have been betrayed…or our fight is far more closer to home than we'd realized."

"Do you think Exura would know? She has Seen a great deal of the fighting to come." Elysia shifts her weight, ignoring the many bandages wrapped around her battered form.

Hotaru sighs, a great deal less wounds on her person than her fellows. "This was not part of her vision. The fight has come to us early. I am uncertain how much this has changed the expected future and what kind of means our foes will bring in to retaliate. If they are part of our Solar System, it is not hard to imagine that they are as informed about our early awakening as everyone else. Meaning, they may have come up with more creative ways of dealing with us."

Ventus mutters a low curse, easily reflecting the other Senshi's feelings adequately.

Aetas moves to sit carefully next to Endymion's chair, and he gives her a supporting smile. "With things as they are, it is now more than ever that I must visit the Gates. They may have a way in which to give us the advantage in a War that is quickly looking to be more than we expected."

"Would it be fair…" Begins Elysia. "To leave her behind?" She glances at Rei. "I mean, she is the one who made such an obvious stand that we all go this together. I cannot imagine her wishing to miss being present."

Rei wiggles a little bit, a grunt of pain escaping her as she attempts to rise.

"Exura!" Serenity is by her side instantly, gently brushing cool fingers across Rei's sweating brow. "Lie still! You are still very wounded."

Rei hisses, refusing to listen as she slowly manages to knock some of the thick blanket off. Serenity seems to understand and pulls the rest to the floor, letting it pool carelessly there as she moves to kneel next to Rei's head.

Footsteps approach as all those present in the room move to hover around the bed.

"Goddess," breathes Amora. "You've given us a fright." There are tears in her eyes, her body trembling.

Rei lets a broken chuckle, her throat dry and her eyes just barely flickering open to squint at the abused figures of her teammates. "How?" She croaks out, eyes flicking across their sagging forms. "Escape?"

Endymion gives her a tired half grin. "Serenity took one look at you and…" He waves a hand vaguely. "Exploded?"

Ventus snickers. "She reached Tacheia. Not only did she weave through the enemy like the wind itself, her powers reacted to her emotions. Everything her light touched was washed clean of darkness." There is a touch of respect in her voice.

"It was amazing," commented Aequus with a hint of awe. "She swept through, and suddenly, a fourth of the enemy forces were cleansed, leaving a few confused people and animals behind. The rest simply turned to ash…"

Endymion's smile is a little more lively as he continues the tale. "It made our job a lot easier. We managed to take out another chunk of the enemy's forces before they called for a retreat." He frowns. "There was someone who teleported to the back of the group, yelled out a few quick orders before disappearing again. I couldn't see who it was from my vantage point." He grimaces. "It's concerning, considering that means that the true people in charge have not yet even graced the field and therefore cannot be identified."

Aequus sighs. "By no means did we win. We were failing rather horribly, to be honest. The natives were easy to cheer for us, but it was obvious we were not as effective as we were supposed to be."

Amora stares at her feet. "I am not the commander I was supposed to be." She looks into Rei's eyes, a pained grimace on her face. "You should be in charge. You would not have made the same mistakes as I." Amora hugs herself, her sniffles filling the air. "I was useless. It was only because of Prudentia and Serenity that things started turning around."

Rei doesn't have the energy to sigh, and she sure as hell doesn't have enough for a speech. But damned if she doesn't try. "No… Every command...fails. Always…mistakes. Learn from...them."

Elysia is the one to reach out and gently lay her hand on Amora's shoulder. "Every ruler knows that they are not omnipotent. We will all make mistakes. This is your first battle, your first test as a team leader." Elysia smiles softly at her. "Had you managed to do everything right, you would be leagues ahead of any other who ever stood in such shoes. You would have to be a god. No one ever steps onto the battlefield perfect. It is a gruesome test, but all who fight and live have learned more for the next battle. We are all very lucky we have lived to see the next."

"But I did so poorly!" Rebuttals Amora.

Elysia simply shrugs. "So do better."

Amora shoots her a nasty look, but Elysia just smiles. Amora huffs and looks away, but she does not shrug off Elysia's calming touch.


	3. One Cannot Truly Escape Fate

Rei sags against the wall. She will only admit it in her own head, but the others had probably been right when they'd said she wasn't to be out of bed yet.

But her own stubborn pride would be damned if she actually let that stop her.

They are standing by the Temple of Cronus. There is quite the entourage hovering behind them while Aetas speaks quietly with the priest scowling before the giant gilded doors leading inside. They'd been here for several minutes already, waiting for the priest to give the go ahead to allow them inside. The fact he'd stood there arguing against their entry is slowly wearing on whatever patience any of them are carrying.

If Rei had the energy, she would be first to push past the frigid old man. Instead, Ventus struts forward with a frown and thrusts a hand forward…a hand currently wielding a freshly sharpened and polished sword she'd bloodied for the first time two days ago. The sword nicks the old man's beard as she lets the tip gently ping off the polished metal of the looming doors.

"I have no doubt tradition is very important. Knowing and upholding such things is a task to be proud of." Her eyes narrow. "However, we are in a state of crisis. War has been declared, and the best way to counter our enemies is to know them. Meaning, we need in there." She gestures with her chin. " _Today_."

Aetas' eye is twitching, but Rei isn't sure if it's because of Ventus or the old man. "Our enemy has already nearly breached our borders," she begins icily. "We hardly managed to keep them back, especially after they let out their little 'surprise'." Her gaze flicks to Rei. "We were not prepared. The enemy _knows_ us. We must know them."

The priest scoffs. "And I _refuse_ to allow anyone but the Pluto Senshi pass! It is the Pluto Senshi's right of passage that-"

"I've _heard_ of your testing, old man," hisses Ventus. "After what you've _already_ done, _none_ of us will let her walk this alone."

Rei's amethyst gaze flicks to Amora, waiting for the usual commanding force to come forth and help push things along. She is left a bit disjointed to find Amora hovering unsurely behind Elysia's shoulder. Amora has never seemed more like Minako until this moment, and Rei's heart clenches as it is the _least_ way she'd hoped that Amora would reflect her.

A hand gently comes to rest on the small of Rei's back. Rei hardly flinches, already barely holding herself together as it is; she has no energy to properly tense as her battle weary body is conditioned to. She dips her head just enough she can see Serenity's face out of the corner of her eye.

"You worry for her," the blond murmurs. Blue eyes dart to Amora's hunched shoulders.

A long breath escapes the Raven haired woman's lips as she leans even further into the wall. "I miss her usual flair."

"You enjoy her flirting with you?" Queries the blond, quirking an eyebrow.

The Earth Priestess splutters, head jerking to the side and nearly making her lose what little balance she has.

It's the telltale quirk of her lips that gives the blond's humor away. Rei groans softly, a faint blush dusting her cheeks as she turns her face away in embarrassment. Serenity hums, silently observing everyone for a few moments before she leans a little closer. "I've gotten better at noticing when you're not saying something."

Rei winces slightly before a self depreciating smirk crosses her face. It is startling but also promising that Serenity is so observant. She really needs to stop underestimating the Moon child; Serenity has already proven she has more layers than it seems.

"In the… Visions of the future, there were...signs." Rei begins haltingly, not exactly sure how to explain.

Serenity pulls Rei's listless arm across her shoulders, helping support the woman without pointing out verbally how foolish Rei's pride is at the moment. Instead, she simply provides more assistance so it looks less like Rei is clearly losing her strength by sliding further down the wall and creates the illusion the two are simply sharing a half embrace. "Signs?" Encourages the blond, shifting slightly to make them both more comfortable.

"The future Amora was adept at hiding her self-doubt. It wasn't until there were some close calls and uncomfortable revealing issues that any of us realized how deeply her self-confidence had plunged. Most of it occurred before her time with us as a group, as originally she was awakened as a Senshi first."

Serenity's gaze snaps to her, clearly intrigued.

Rei subtly shakes her head, keeping on topic. "There were things we didn't know about, things she'd experienced alone and had scarred her deeply. I think that once we were together it helped, but it wasn't actually dealt with until it all came to a head. We…almost lost her." The pain is heavy in her voice, eyes misting over. "I…don't want Amora to fall to the same fate. She is…so much more than she realizes. I want her to never lose that confidence, that spark." A half smile crosses her lips. "It's what makes her who she is, what gives others confidence too."

Serenity squeezes her gently, gaze soft as it lands on the blond still lingering at Elysia's elbow. Elysia has shifted slightly so that her pinky loops through Amora's index finger, giving the blond silent comfort as she keeps her attention on the three figures arguing in front of the Temple. Amora has a small smile on her lips, eyes a little glassy as she allows Elysia's actions to soothe her distress.

"I think she'll be okay," murmurs the Princess, pulling Rei a little closer.

BOOM!

Everyone begins choking on dust and smoke, as apparently someone had lost their patience and thrust a wash of magic at the door.

When the dust settles, the priest is gaping up from the ground while shaking. Above his head the gilded doors are dented deeply inward, blackened by the burst of raw magic. Ventus' lips are curled in a snarl, hand still outstretched.

"You _will-not_ ever speak about her that way again!" Her aura flares wildly around her, eyes fierce.

"What in blazes did we _miss_?!" Hisses Rei, clutching to Serenity in shock.

Aetas looks just as startled as everyone else, and Endymion has moved forward from the back of the group to stand protectively at her side with compressed lips and his hand hovering over the hilt of his sword.

Aequus steps forward and rests a restraining hand on Ventus' shoulder. However, her aqua colored eyes are ice cold as she stares down at the cowering priest. "I _suggest_ sir, that you bow out of this confrontation immediately." A eerie smirk crosses her lips. "As even though I would like to settle this peacefully, you _have_ stepped over the line. I only need one more reason to allow Ventus to finish what she started." Her eyes flick to the damaged doors.

The man visibly pales to an ashy gray when he follows her gaze and observes the damage done. "Y-you can't-"

Aequus _sneers_ , making Rei gape at her in shock. Michiru had _never_ made such an expression before; it is unnerving to see the usually composed woman look so openly disgusted.

"I am a High Priestess. I have devoted years of training and meditation to attain this blessed title." Her eyes narrow. "I _know_ what is expected of you, _sir_. Unless there is someone desecrating the holy Temple, you have _no right_ to bar anyone access! Even _less_ do you have the right to deny her fellow Senshi! If _anyone_ has that right, it is Aetas herself as you are in the presence of Cronus' chosen Avatar!"

Everyone blinks. Those observing turn a pasty white before many start sinking to their knees and murmuring prayers and bowing towards Aetas. The Senshi shift uncomfortably, as no-one had ever revered them to such a degree. Aequus remains unmoved, scowling at the priest.

"It is forgotten lore, but it is no less true. The Senshi were created by those Gods and Goddesses many have forgotten. We are _all_ Avatars, and it is our _mission_ to guard and protect! Do you think we bear these Marks for nothing?!" Her brow flashes, revealing the symbol of Neptune. "Pluto, born of Cronus as Hades, God of the Underworld! The Avatar intertwined with both their gifts, as both the Underworld and Time bleed together as future past and present twist and flex to reflect mortality and its flaws, showing where it ultimately ends!"

Those that hadn't already hit their knees drop immediately, heads pressed firmly to the ground as more murmurs of prayer fill the air. The priest looks ready to wet himself.

"You-have-no- _right_ ," Aequus snarls. Her eyes snap to Aetas. "AVATAR! Do you give us entry to this sacred site, this Temple of Cronus, father of Pluto, God of Time?"

Aetas looks a little queasy, even as her spine straightens and her shoulders square themselves. "I give my fellow Avatars entry." Her eyes dip to the priest. "Open the doors." Her voice seems to echo with a strange stirring of power beginning to simmer in the air, creating a sense of anticipation and agelessness.

The priest scrambles to his feet, yanking on the doors sharply and making them crash open with a resounding THUD that echoes into the shadows inside the long hallway yawning before them. He drops to his knees and scuttles backwards until he bumps into the other observers hovering behind the Senshi. He remains there, figure shaking uncontrollably.

Aequus dips her head to Aetas. "Lead the way, Avatar."

Aetas locks eyes with Endymion, clearly expressing that this is one event he will not be present for, before striding confidently into the dimly lit interior. The rest of the Senshi fall in step behind her. The mix of power fluctuating in the air gives Rei enough energy to carry herself forward without completely using Serenity as a crutch.

Once the Senshi cross the threshold, the doors slam closed by an unseen hand, dousing all the light inside and leaving them standing in pitch black silence.

"Frozen sack of-" begins Pru.

"PRUDENTIA!" Scolds Aetas, voice sharp. "We are on _sacred_ ground!"

A slow wind begins to build, growing and swirling until it feels like they're in a mini cyclone.

Whispers start, hissing through the wind in a fashion that the words cannot be made out. The Senshi stiffen, on high alert and hovering in defensive poses as they shuffle so their backs face each other in a circle. The whispers escalate, growing louder and becoming clearer each passing moment.

" _Gate… Fate-...silent screams… Voices of the Past...Souls from the Future…_ "

"What's going on?!" Demands Pru.

Aetas grits her teeth before answering. "I don't know! This is not the trial the Elders spoke of!"

" _Demolisher of the Gate! Defiler of Fate! The Past was Not to Change! Destiny has been Denied!"_

Rei feels her blood run cold, heart stuttering heavily in her chest. "I'm to be judged…"

"What?!" Cries Serenity, leaning closer. "What was that? Speak up!"

" _You are not the Avatar of Cronus!"_ The voices rise shrilly, making the Senshi cover their ears _. "De-filer! Defiler! DEFILER_!"

A pulsating light gives them enough of a glow to finally see the vague wispy shapes swirling in the air around them. Faces come and fade, eyes and mouths black pits as the voices chant from each and every mouth circling them, fading and coming in a raspy cycle.

The sheer weight of _power_ flooding over them makes them shiver.

Rei releases Serenity and takes a shaky step forward.

"EXURA!" Serenity lurches forward to grab her, but Rei brushes her attempt aside.

Rei glances back, the fear evident in her eyes even as she smiles confidently. "I am to be judged."

No one can hear her over the screaming, but all of them see her lips move and the self reproach in her eyes.

Hotaru's eyes widen. She attempts to press forward, struggling hard against some unseen force that presses against her to keep her in place. Her mouth is open in a soundless scream.

The voices blend into a wordless mess, rising in a roaring crescendo as the wispy shapes around them vault into the air with a keening wail. At the peak of their move, everything falls mute and still, leaving a disturbing hush.

Rei stands several feet away from her fellow Senshi. Her profile clear as she looks up at the towering wisps with resolute acknowledgement. The Senshi feel a thundering shock of absolute terror lash through them as the wisps focus solely on Rei's rigid form.

" _Arbitrator_!"

And the wispy figures descended in a spiraling cone and dive straight into Rei's breast.

* * *

 **A/N:** So, just an FYI, I am going to take liberties with old Greek and Roman Gods and Goddesses. I will pull from them, but I'm going to twist things so they hopefully make sense even if they are not (actually) historically accurate. I will try to mimic their true history, but the way the Senshi were created makes things...complicated. Pluto (AKA Hades) is technically the Roman God of the Underworld, not Time, so I had to...tweak things so we can explain Pluto's powers over time and yet why she is called Pluto. So, if things get wonky it's because I have to make it that way to get the story to (hopefully) make a shred of sense. If you have the whole dirty messy understanding of Roman and Greek Gods down to prefect recall, awesome! Go you! (I suck at remembering specifics). I appreciate that knowledge, but I won't go further than basic (probably very basic) research to get enough info to make things plausible, nothing more (and at least I did _some_ research! Yay me! I didn't pull it _all_ outta my ass!)

So, please bear with me. If things get too confusing, do let me know and I will try to clarify in a PM or in the following chapter.

Thanks for Reading!

~Salute!~


	4. Thrice Punished

The first cognizant thing that Rei can focus on is silence, a hollow empty feeling surrounding her as she simply exists in a non-corporeal plane. She cannot bring her thoughts together enough to truly think upon her current predicament. Instead, it is very remiss of some of her more intense meditations. Flitting half formed thoughts dance by, but nothing snags, nothing catches enough to draw her attention into a solid form.

She just exists.

Time doesn't have meaning. Endless amounts of it seem to float by her, but at the same time everything is so still that it is like time isn't moving at all. Were she able to focus clearly, she would be taxing herself trying to figure it out.

It takes even longer for Rei to realize that another presence has arrived. She can't identify when they first came or how long they'd been there, but the sheer magnitude of raw power radiating off the individual is humbling.

In that instant, Rei is hyper aware that she has no body and all of her wandering thoughts snap into rigid focus.

 _Avatar of Aries… You are here to be judged._

The voice is raspy, filled with an agelessness and potency.

Mentally swallowing her fear, Rei forces herself to speak. "Can the specific charge or charges be named?"

 _You are not the Avatar of Cronus. You have defiled the Gates and abused their use. You have re-written Fate, changing Prophecy and denying Destiny._

Flickers of the dead future dance through her thoughts. Memories of sitting at the Temple, studying. The silly spats they'd gotten into over idols, or whose idea currently had them all in a pickle. Their shaky camaraderie slowly shifting and molding until they were a tight knit family, bound and determined to sacrifice their very lives if it meant protecting Usagi and Earth. The ridiculous moments they'd spied upon Usagi and Mamoru out on a date, all of them envious of such a timeless love. The many times they teased Usagi for her eating habits or her clumsy moments. Letting laughter fill the air, living in that moment completely.

Then she remembers the pain, the suffering. The sleepless nights scouring the city to deal with monsters made of nightmares. The challenge of pretending to be a normal teenager and attend class and completing homework assignments. The struggles of being fourteen and being responsible for the survival of the entire human race, the entire planet. Watching in horror as friends nearly died or actually die, listening to screams of agony and knowing that none of them could go to a doctor lest their secret be revealed. Bearing scars that had healed, left unseen on their flesh but buried deep in their hearts.

Feeling completely alone while surrounded by millions of people.

Watching the light in Usagi's eyes fade until they were filled with deep shadows.

Knowing that their fight would never end, the war never won, and the peace never lasting.

Rei's resolve firms, any shame that may have started to form dissolves. Was what she did the right choice? She would never really know. Did she make things better, or worse? She can only speculate.

But she _tried_. Since becoming a Senshi, there had never once been any assurance they would prevail, that they would win. Many times they'd come a hair's breadth away from losing everything, of dying for a cause where no one knew who they were or how they'd perished. They only thing they'd had pushing them on was their sheer determination, their heart. The best any of them could do was to _try_ , and it was the only thing that had carried them through what they'd suffered.

Is that not what they'd been created to do? To throw themselves unfailingly forward to protect that which is most precious to them? To guard the lives of those who could not protect themselves? To challenge Fate? To rewrite Destiny?

No, Rei doesn't regret a damned thing. She had done the best she could possibly do with what was given to her. Did she abuse her fellow Senshis' trust? Most likely. Should she have played with a power that was not hers to wield, to destroy a most sacred and pivotal monument? Probably not.

But others had done no less. _Setsuna_ had done no less on several occasions. The Gods had provided a power to the Senshi to do what must be done to protect human life, short and fickle as it is. Rei can and will do no less than use every damn advantage she can to bring her and her fellow Senshi out on top, give them the strength to press on, the will to fight another battle and _prevail_. If that means she displeases the Gods for the power they left at her fingertips…

Well, she will take their punishment. She destroyed the Gates and altered the past, keeping her knowledge of the future and dragging another along with her. She wouldn't deny that.

But she damned sure _wouldn't regret_ it.

So, despite not having a physical body, Rei feels her confidence firm and her conviction solidify. She will await her punishment without fear. Instead, Pride rushes through her knowing she was foolish enough to do _whatever_ it took to protect her most precious people. There would _never_ be shame in that. She could accept any punishment willingly because of that.

A boom of laughter startles Rei as it echoes from everywhere.

The raspy voice scoffs, irritation clear in the tone. _You have very arrogant Avatars, Aries. In the vast amount of years and the many you've had, that has never changed._

 _Yes, but this one is most definitely the worst,_ comments a second voice. It is soft, almost lilting.

 _My Avatar is a true icon for the misguided,_ argues a third voice. The deep baritone matches that of the laughter that had startled her. _But that is beside the point._

 _Indeed. Icon or not,_ there is a clear note of distaste in the second voice, _punishment must be dealt._

Despite feeling ill that she seems to actually be dealing with the Divine, Rei holds herself firmly.

 _After all, one cannot go about abusing another Avatar's power. A poor precedent, even if it is a surprising first._

An irritable sigh fills the void. _Despite the fact you have, in one Time, destroyed the Gates, it has not destroyed them all. And though you attempted to destroy Destiny, Fate, and Prophecy, you have only managed to re-write them._

The booming laugh sounds again. _They were in a right state of anger having to weave them anew._

 _Which brings to point that they have not been altered to the point that Time itself is destroyed for the breech. You nearly destroyed the entire Galaxy with your foolishness, mortal._

Rei's heart stutters at the thought, but she stubbornly remains firm on her decision. She isn't the only one that had nearly damned the entire Galaxy, as ironically, it was the soldier deemed to protect it that had come the closest to destroying it. Galaxia had come horrifyingly close to ending everything, had been the one to truly erase all of them... And yet, it was Usagi... whom had once again, saved them all, even Galaxia herself.

 _The first issue to be dealt, is giving your fellow Avatars knowledge of your deed. For good or ill, your decision has irrevocably changed their Fates. They have a right to judge you for your actions._

Rei winces mentally. She'd known they would be informed at some point. She also knows it could shatter what trust she'd built between them. At best, she can hope for the support from four. The rest are all unknown.

 _Your first punishment is to continue to carry the Curse put upon you. Normally, you could plead your case in prayer and hope that you could be cured. For your actions, however, that option is lost to you. You will have to find your own way to remove it._

That… is unexpected. She didn't even know asking the Gods to remove it was an option. Mind you, Gods could be fickle at the best of times. There wasn't much hope of them removing it in the first place unless she'd earned some sort of boon. She really can't imagine what she'd have to accomplish to earn a boon like _that._

 _Your second punishment is equivalent to the futures that you stole. Because you stole the future for so many, so too shall your future be taken. You shall never have the blessing to be with child. You shall be barren for the rest of your natural life. However, you will still suffer through the usual cycle that all females go through, your womb intact and you shall still bleed._

Rei's thoughts come to a grinding halt. An invisible tremor begins, as if a chord is struck deep within her being.

Before it can build and overwhelm her, a booming voice startles her back to the present.

 _Avatar of mine! For your final punishment, you shall wear the guise of one of my sacred creatures! You shall come upon this transformation when the Moon is at her darkest, where you will be forced to remain vigilant for any foe who would dare attempt attack when the Moon is at its most vulnerable! This will be, forevermore, your sacred Duty!_

The weight of their punishments begins to settle upon Rei's shoulders, and were she in her own body, she would most likely be hyperventilating.

 _You have been judged. Each punishment is a reminder of your misdeed, in hopes you do not repeat such arrogant and foolish actions._ The raspy voice growls. _Do not test my mettle a second time, Avatar of Aries, for even Destiny and Fate cannot save you should you cross me again._

Before Rei can even fathom to form some sort of platitude or acknowledgement, there is a jarring tug at her center, and she's staring up into a pair of panicked blue eyes.

And in that instant, her second punishment slams home. Tears cascade from the corner of her eyes and get lost in her thick raven hair. Her body is wracked with heaving sobs as she clings to the young woman cradling her carefully as she simply… falls apart.

* * *

 **A/N:** I'm soooo sorry! I meant to have this done ages ago! I started it three times! Three! I was tearing myself up finding reasonable punishments the gods would dole out, and it took forever for me to find fitting ones! I wanted to make it believable but daunting. I ended up doing research just to find examples of punishments from the Greek gods to get an idea if my thoughts were headed in the right direction.

I know this chapter was short in comparison to my others, but it was fitting. The next chapter will most likely be quite long as the magnitude of what this short chapter actually brings to the table, and even then, some of it won't be fully revealed until later chapters. That being said, I know there are probably a lot of questions about the punishments too, but I'm hoping I can clarify those a bit more in the next chapter. Again, there will be some bits that will have some key elements that won't be exposed until the Senshi themselves learn of it, so please bear with me if some of the punishments seem too strict. There are some... extra elements that were not fully explained to Rei, (the gods are fickle bastards, especially the Greek ones), and I plan on going further in depth with it when the Senshi start hashing out what happened in more detail.

Again, sorry this took so long to post. I really have been climbing the walls in an attempt to do this one chapter correctly. I didn't want everyone to be hanging that long.

Thanks for reading!

-Salute!-

UR


	5. Human Intent, Gods' Twist

Watching someone fall apart is already a discombobulating experience. Witnessing someone who seems to be impervious to crumbling under emotional strain actually shatter before your very eyes…

Distantly, Rei recognizes how her sudden reappearance and consequential behavior is currently putting her fellow Senshi in their own amount of hysterics. But it doesn't stop the tears. It doesn't keep the sobs from wracking her body and the howls of anguish from leaving her lips. When she feels the Moon Child's arms surround her, it only breaks her further. The echo of her punishments being voiced reverberates in her head in an endless loop, leaving her in a mucus drooling mess of tears. Her ceaseless wails leave her gasping for her depleted breath, and her body is shaking so badly she can't even properly hold herself upright. The only thing keeping her steady are the arms around her and her iron grip on Serenity's dress.

It takes an undetermined amount of time before the raven haired woman finally hears the consoling voices. It's even longer that she allows the words to breach her consciousness and slow her sobbing.

When she finally has the strength to pull away, her watery red eyes rise to meet a pair of pure blue. Rei has to bite her lip to still its trembling.

Soft cool fingertips brush the bangs from her eyes and gently stroke her cheek.

"Are you alright?" Serenity's voice is barely a whisper.

Rei's chest heaves as she tries to smother the new wash of tears that threaten to overwhelm her. She can taste blood, having bit her lip too hard in her attempts to restrain any further choked sobs. She has to close her eyes again, to blind herself of the tender visage looking at her with such deep concern.

She remains rigid and silent as she fights to regain some sort of emotional equilibrium. There are some murmurs from around her, but she doesn't dare open her eyes until she can almost be certain she won't continue her hysterics.

When she feels reasonably sure she can speak again, she exhales slowly. She licks her lips, a nervous tick to prepare herself for the conversation to come. She winces at the fresh taste of coppery blood that coats her tongue before inhaling sharply and opening her eyes.

Serenity hasn't moved. She's still hovering in front of Rei protectively, blue gaze probing Rei's amethyst. Her hand slides along Rei's cheek until she is cupping Rei's jaw. "What happened?"

Rei's breath stutters. When she opens her mouth, no sound comes out.

Aequus moves to hover just over Serenity's shoulder. "What did They decide?" Her face is uncommonly solemn, deep blue eyes full of quiet concern.

A strangled chuckle escapes Rei's lips, her amethyst eyes darting away with a hint of hysteria. "More, and yet less, than what I expected," she finally answers, voice high and fragile.

Rei struggles to gather her thoughts, mind whirling over the whole ordeal she had just undergone. She doesn't want to focus on it. She doesn't want to relive it. She doesn't want to have to say it. Speaking them aloud would make them real, solid. It would put the full scale of the punishments squarely on her shoulders, and… if she was honest, she isn't sure she can handle it. Telling them, the judgement, the consequences of that and what the gods had chosen to do with her… She can already feel bile threatening to crawl up her throat.

"...- Everyone! Transform!" calls Luna's voice.

Rei jerks violently, eyes leaping up and growing large.

Their surrounds had changed once more. They were sitting right smack dab in the middle of a battle from their earlier days, days before the Outer Senshi. It wasn't pretty. Rei winces as Jupiter got smacked backwards harshly, and found herself bemused at how young they were back then. Just as the fight was starting to look desperate, the scene shifted to another battle, one with Tuxedo Kamen flinging his customary rose. Rei almost snorts at the pathetic showing, especially after watching the Prince quite expertly wield a sword and the magic they'd lent him.

The others around her began murmuring in confusion, all but Hotaru and Aequus. The others, their heads snap and turn to take in everything going on, pointing out their seeming clones as they battled.

"What is this?" demands Ventus, eyes on Tuxedo Kamen with an air of contempt.

And that's when Rei realizes exactly what is happening. "No…" She struggles to get to her feet, eyes darting about wildly as the scene changes yet again, this time to include the Outer Senshi. "No!" Rei's eyes dart about, panicked, realizing the gods are already making her punishment harsher. She knows, instinctively, that this will not turn out in her favor. It is clear they are building up to something, and it is also very clear that they are leaving out the majority of the information that is needed to make sense of everything.

Flashes of more battles, flickers of winning, of nearly losing, until at last, they are all standing in a group to see off the Three Lights.

"That's not how things went!" roars Rei.

The others are not really paying her any mind. Even Hotaru and Aequus are now drawn into the flux of images and the dancing scenery.

The last image flickers, a nice peaceful glow, to fade into the their last gathering in that dead future. There, sitting around at the Temple, minus Mamoru, who had gone back to America, is a resplendent scene of the Senshi. It was homey, nostalgic, even for those who had no memory of it. Rei froze in horror, watching as the scene shred into her dramatic entrance into Setsuna's sanctuary just outside the Gates.

* * *

 **A/N** : So, I received a negative review about having the Greek Gods involved in this story. I understand the differing point of view and don't begrudge anyone for that opinion, but I felt I should make my own view clear.

So, short and simple, I like keeping the Senshi human. Being human is a messy, oft confusing, chaotic whirlwind. It has its extreme highs and lows, an emotional rollercoaster that Gods (in my opinion) cannot fathom because gods don't suffer consequences the same way humans do. There are cases humans reach the level of godhood, but I always felt that in doing so they lost their understanding of the humanity that they left behind. I don't want the Senshi to suffer this consequence, hence, they won't, in my story, become gods.

I hope that explains my reasoning.

In any case, thank you for reading what you have and following this as it grew in ways I hadn't expected. I do appreciate reviews, (I don't count flames as reviews, and no, the review I'm talking about is not a flame), and encourage readers to send them when they desire. They do help keep me on task when I have lost traction or inspiration.

Enjoy~

UR

PS! Sorry, had this written forever. Forgot I had this one done because I was trying to get the next chapter out with it. But, realizing how long it's been, I decided to post it ASAP and worry about the next one as it comes (I even have a good start for chapter 7. chapter 6 is challenging because of the confrontation about to occur and those types of emotional outburts are hard to write because I'm so involved in the story it hurts to write).


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